How long do Riding Lawn Mowers last?

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Introduction

Like any other power tool you might own, riding lawn mowers need to be properly taken care of in order to pro long their life spans. Always use good quality oil when servicing your mowers engine and be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when cleaning your mower. Don’t leave your mower out in the sun and rain without a cover of some sort. Treat your mower the way you would treat your car and it will give you many years of good service.

How to Repair Riding Lawn Mowers?

Over time, your riding lawn mower is going to develop a problem or two with its V-belt or you might find it cutting unevenly or not at all. The engine may struggle to start or just die on you altogether or there could be more vibrations under your seat than usual. The good news is that most of these small problems can be fixed in a jiffy without having to go in to a costly repair shop. If you find that your mower is not cutting evenly, you could be driving too fast over or the engine speed could be set too high.

Keep the settings according to the manufacturer’s instructions in the manual. If you are still having problems with uneven cutting then your blades could be the problem. Scrape away any dried grass and debris from around the blade and mowers deck. The blades will not be able to cut properly if they are caked with debris.If the lawn mowers V-belt slips or comes off while using it, clear any grass or debris from the belt area and adjust the drive-belt tension.

If the belt is worn or damaged, have it replaced with a new one. If the belt squeals loudly, look for any obstructions or wear and tear around the belt. You could also try applying a thin layer of dishwashing liquid to the belt if it is slightly worn. When there seems to be more vibrations than usual when engaging the clutch, it could be that grass and debris has accumulated beneath the mowers deck. Remove any debris and grass and check that your blade is balanced and not loose.

Check the drive belt, pulley and any other drive belt parts for wear and tear. Make sure that your riding lawn mower is always lubricated according the manufacturer’s instructions and have it serviced regularly. Doing this will ensure that your riding lawn mower stays in a good condition and keeps doing a proper job.

How often do you need to Sharpen Lawn Mower Blades?

When your grass looks more like a rat attacked it than a lawn mower, it is time to sharpen your blades. Dull blades will rip and tear at the grass instead of giving it a manicured finish. This in turn damages and weakens your grass, leaving it susceptible to fungal and other grass diseases. It is relatively easy to sharpen your lawn mowers blades yourself by following these few steps.

Always remove the spark plug when working on the blade that way there is no way that the blade could accidentally lurch around and break your hand.

Locate the carburettor and air filter. Make sure that these two components are facing upward as much as possible when removing the blade. This will prevent oil from leaking out into the rest of the engine or work space.

The blade is usually held in place by a single bolt or nut which will be fastened very tightly. Clamp the blade so that you can loosen this nut safely.

Use a hand file to sharpen from the top side of the cutting edge. Only file in one direction which will be the downward push stroke. Press down hard enough to feel the file bite into the metal. Don’t try to make your blade razor sharp as it will become dull much faster.

Before returning the blade, hang it on a nail to check if it is properly balanced after sharpening. If the blade dips to one side, it means that side is heavier and will cause vibrations and uneven cutting. File a bit more off on the heavier side and check it again. Do this until the blade hangs horizontally on the nail like an aeroplane propeller.

How loud are Riding Lawn Mowers?

Nothing is more annoying than your neighbour firing up his lawn mower on a Sunday morning. Lawn mowers vary in the amount of noise they make and unfortunately only range from loud to really loud. Some models are quieter than others and you can check the manufacturer’s voluntary noise labels to see how quiet a model is. This noise level is measured in decibels and lawn mowers are measured at somewhere between 90 dB and 110dB.

This is akin to the level of normal headphones and is louder than traffic noise which is measured at 80dB. There is not much you can do to minimise lawn mower noise, but you can keep your mower in a good working condition to ensure that it does not get louder due to worn or unbalanced components.

Conclusion

Keep your riding lawn mower in tip top shape by checking the components regularly and keeping the deck grass and debris free. Be kind to your neighbours and give your mower a regular service either on your own or professionally. By doing this, you will ensure that the noise level will remain as quiet as humanly possible.

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